Delivery Firms Seek Share Of Global Market

DOREEN HEMLOCK INTERNATIONAL

As global trade booms, express delivery companies are battling for clients, with new offerings from trade finance to faster deliveries and new routes.

Here are some innovations:

United Parcel Service has expanded into the field of banking to help its clients finance imports, exports and even purchases of machinery needed to boost sales.

The Atlanta-based company has created a financial services unit called UPS Capital, and it has bought a bank specialized in import-export purchases, Chief Operating Officer John Beystehner said during a recent visit to South Florida.

One example of how the bank works: A Mexican candy maker needed to buy a machine to boost production of wrappers so it could increase sales of its product often handled by UPS. The delivery company helped finance the machine, helping UPS in turn boost its shipping volumes.

The new unit also helps simplify the paper trail for international business. For example, the unit can immediately transfer funds between buyers and sellers as soon as the goods are delivered, executives said.

UPS had revenues topping $36 billion last year. It employs roughly 384,000 people worldwide, including 328,000 in the United States.

FedEx announced faster shipping for Colombian flowers to the continental United States -- within three business days for delivery to one or more U.S. destinations, FedEx announced at Colombia's recent ProFlora flower trade show in Cartagena.

The move comes amid growing competition in the fresh flower industry. Miami International Airport serves as the prime U.S. gateway for flowers from Latin America, with fresh flowers long the No. 1 import into the airport.

Meanwhile, FedEx launched overnight express service between China and India, underscoring the growing weight of those two nations in the world economy. The service is part of a new eastbound around-the-world route, connecting Europe, India, China and Japan with the FedEx U.S. hub in Memphis, Tenn.

China already has emerged as India's second-largest trade partner. Two-way trade between China and India is forecast to top $20 billion a year by 2009, FedEx reported.

Memphis-based FedEx reported revenues of $29.4 billion last fiscal year. It employs or contracts more than 250,000 people worldwide.

DHL, which runs its Americas division from Plantation, announced plans to open five terminals in Poland this year to strengthen operations in Eastern Europe.

Germany-based DHL also said it signed a three-year contract with Air France-KLM Dutch airlines to handle express delivery within the European Union.

DHL had revenues topping $29 billion last year and employs or contracts more than 170,000 people worldwide.

Events

"Trends in Latin America and Their Impact on Real Estate Operations," is the theme of a lunch Nov. 17 at 11:30 a.m at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables., organized by Princeton, N.J.-based NAI Global, a network of commercial real estate firms.

For information, call Jennifer Szwalek at 609-945-4017 or e-mail her at jszwalek@naiglobal.com.

The first Caribbean Hotel Sales and Marketing Strategy Conference is set for Dec. 1-2 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Miami, organized by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International, based in McLean, Va., and the Caribbean Hotel Association, based in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Sessions will looks at such topics as managing a hotel Web site; how to reach the golf market and wedding market, plus the customer of the future.

For more information, call Victor LebrM-sn at 787-725-9139 or e-mail him at vlebron@caribbeanhotels.org.

Doreen Hemlock can be reached at dhemlock@sun-sentinel.com or 305-810-5009.